Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the European Court of Human Rights judgment relating to the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict; and what support the Government is providing to Georgia in the context of that matter.
The UK welcomes the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the case of Georgia vs Russia and its findings on Russia's responsibility for the torture of Georgian Prisoners of War and the killing and displacement of civilians during its continuing effective control of Georgia's Breakaway Territories. The UK is a strong supporter of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and continues to call on Russia to adhere to its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement. This judgement re-inforces the calls for Russia to stop its continuing violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UK will continue to support Georgia to raise concerns about Russia's ongoing military presence in Georgia's Breakaway Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in multilateral fora and to offer practical support to Georgian reconciliation efforts on the ground.